(A) Area of Invention
The invention relates to palettes and tools of application used by artists and, more particularly, to a multi-color palette system having particular application in the area of faux art.
(B) Prior Art
Faux art is a very exacting and labor intensive art form. Therein, the artist must often operate at considerable heights and at distances from the source of the various types and sources of pigment, i.e., liquid and viscous color which one must use. However, because of the weight and quantity of color used in faux art, a conventional artist's palette containing small dabs of paste-like oil paint, has never offered a practical solution.
Some parties, in an effort to address this problem, have suggested the use of a multi-color paint roller for purposes of faux finish application. as is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,731 (2001) to Jackson, et al entitled Faux Finish Applicator and U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,327 (2001) also to Jackson, et al, entitled Faux Finish Method. However, such solutions to application and color in faux finishing are limited to the two different colors and a specific pattern that a roller of the type of Jackson can accommodate. Other efforts to address the above difficulties in faux art supply and finishing that involve the use of an improved roller and paint supply are reflected U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,772 (1999) to Woodnorth, et al, entitled Paint Supply and Finishing System; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,548 (2001) to Capoccia, entitled Synthetic Torn Patterned Roller And Its Method Of Production. Solutions of this type, while providing for special faux art effects, do not help the faux artist in the many labor and time intensive aspects of various forms of faux finishing.
The prior art of faux finish applicators also includes the utilization of selectably different interlocking stamp sets, each of which may be provided with a different color, pattern, or design such that, after such a system is assembled and loaded with color, the artist may take such a stamp set onto a ladder, or to a location remote from the color source, to more easily provide the colors and patterns of the elements of the stamp set at such a location. A stamp set of this type is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,451 (1997) to Wasylczuk, et al, entitled Interfitting Stamp Set For Faux Finishing. The within invention however employs substrate that requires pre-selection of color or pigment, but not assembly of units thereof.
As may be noted from the above, the prior art does not teach or suggest an analog of the classical artist palette that would be practical for use in the area of faux art.
The term color, as used herein, and throughout this application, is defined to include the term pigment, whether in liquid or paste form.
Further, for purposes of clarity, the term “faux art” as used herein and throughout the application, is used to mean that one is not looking at a genuine article, but rather a man-made material created to simulate something organic or naturally-occurring. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the example of faux marble, which is a finished that is painted to closely resemble real marble.
It is accordingly toward this end that the present invention is directed.